Frankfurt ills

Not a good week for German airport operator Fraport as it predicted zero growth in passenger numbers this year and lower net profit as a weak economic climate prompts airlines to reduce capacity.  To add to its woes, last Tuesday’s appalling weather on the Continent saw a complete closure of the airport for a period and about half of the day’s operations were lost. 

Fraport said last Tuesday that net profit would shrink this year from the €238m (US$310m) reported for 2012.

The company said this reflected the impact of costs from a fourth runway opened in 2011 and expansion of one of two terminals at Frankfurt, Europe's third-busiest airport by passenger numbers.

Airlines at Frankfurt plan to reduce flight movements by 1.4% in the European summer, Fraport said.  Lufthansa, which accounts for more than 50% of Fraport's business in Frankfurt, had reduced its capacity by 3% in its European winter schedule.  Last year 57.5m passengers used Frankfurt Airport. www.frankfurt-airport.com

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